Peeing!

It's early in the morning so they shouldn't be running late. There's no way that I can travel round the ring road with a full bladder. I wasn't sure how much to drink etc so you've been very helpful Riverwalk. Can't say I'm looking forward to it but I assume they can't treat me for atrophy till they've ruled out everything else, and the constant need to wee does ring a few alarm bells. Although, I am reassured by the fact that my change in lifestyle has improved that a lot.

I almost hesitate to post further on this thread as now get umpteen adverts for various peeing/incontinence aids! But this one is too good not to pass on and only £20!

kampa khazi

Could fit into a capacious tote bag

I think one thing you can draw comfort from, is by the amount of posts in response to your problem, you're not the only one. Me included. I won't add, as so many good suggestions re various remedies. Only thing I would say is, there is a tendency, if you suffer (and it doesn't have to be a medical problem, just getting on a bit, muscles weakening, childbirth, it's a common problem) there can be a tendency to not drink enough. Real dilemma. Do I drink (especially in this weather) to keep hydrated (or potential kidney stones) or drink plenty to keep hydrated to avoid other issues. Hope you can find something to suit from all the good suggestions on here and find that balance between good hydration and having to hang around public toilets! Not recommended! Wherever I go now, I have to check the facilities. Damn and blast you old age.

Finally had a letter from the hospital to say nothing untoward has been found and I've been referred back to my GP. Thankfully the Replens has helped enormously and having a she wee in the car means that travelling isn't such a nightmare. May ask the GP for some hormone cream when I see her. Even though it's been a horrid few weeks [wish I'd had the letter from the hospital before I went on holiday as I've been worrying a lot about it over the past few days] I've had a really good check up that would have cost a fortune if I'd paid privately for it, and I even plucked up the courage to do the bowel cancer screening test as well [also came back ok].

I have had a sensitive bladder for years, since giving birth to my son. It was a nightmare at work where I would have to go every 30 - 40 minutes, and it was commented on. I had to plan going out, know where the loos were and it was the first place I went on arriving anywhere. Things got worse after kidney cancer, when a benign lesion was removed from my bladder along with a kidney. I was the prescribed solifenacin, which has changed my life. I frequently note with relief and amusement that I have gone 3-4 hours without thinking about a pee. Only downside, a recent move and change of GP drew the comment that solifenacin costs £60.00 per month to prescribe. However it has changed my quality of life immensely. Its no joke, feeling that need to pee, hour in, hour out.

I ve only just seen this topic so hope you ll let me join in I ve hated my bladder since I was 18 and started having cistitus and bladder infections this went on until I hit the menapause which coincided with leaving a relationship ( no sex) and the infections completely stopped however I think it has caused me to have psychological problems believing I need the loo then feeling full and feeling I can't wait and panicking So for a number of years I haven't gone on trips I would like to I like others have said always have to know where toilets are when I do go out and just wouldn't go if it was going to be awkward to find one I would love to join long country walks etc I do most things on my own so I don't have to be embarrassed or embarrassing , when I m out with people I feel like a 4 year old needing a wee and even after I ve been I ll get a thought like ' wouldn't it be awful if I need to go again' that thought takes over until I feel full and uncomfortable
The first time I plucked up courage to talk to a doc I was tired just finished a night shift and had a few tears he called me a middle age neurotic woman I got up and walked out he ran after me but I carried on walking it took me years before I told another doctor he offered me hypnotism but that failed miserably and I couldn't be hypnotised 20 years later I had one more try with a lady doctor she was sweet but sent me away with a list of pelvic floor exercises so I ve never been back I know my bladder is ok I go through the night without getting up and sometimes when I m relaxed ( and there's a loo nearby ) I can go 4 or even 5 hours it's my head but I ve given up hope now and just limit myself to what I do Sorry for the length of this post

Oh heck; you really do need help . It's such a mix up of physical and psychological problems isn't it. I found that having a shee wee in the car last time we travelled meant that I wasn't worrying about hitting a traffic jam so my stomach didn't tense up.If only doctors realised how a comment like that can affect you for the whole of your life. You somehow need to go back to square one and start again. There must be lots of people with similar problems because of the signs that are in the toilets at motorway service stations.

Oh Bluebell you poor thing. That doctor sounds like an unsympathetic so and so.
As you say, there is nothing wrong with your bladder if you can go all night without weeing. Your symptoms sound like they are to do with tension and anxiety during the day. Bladders are plumbed into our emotions! And they can also learn - as they do during potty training.
In my experience hypnotherapists vary a great deal. I saw one who was hopeless and another - a qualified hypnotherapist, not someone who had done just a short course - and he was brilliant. Gave me a CD to go away and practice with. (this was not about bladder by the way - but just that it might be worth another try, if you can find the right person).

Thanks Tegan and Jess I might give it another go I know it s a pychological thing and a lot of docs don't like things that aren't black and whites The hypnotherapist was a fully qualified one a NHS doctor a very nice one this time ( however I saw in the local paper just this week that he had killed himself, it wasn't through my inability to being hypnotised though as that was donkeys years ago ) I know its all connectedI to worrying and getting anxious but it's really hard to retrain myself after all this time I just think all the years of infections left me very bladder conscious and on the alert and I believe sincerely that I ve trained myself to needing the loo I also find I can make what seems like enormous amounts of wee when worried, I can go and 15 / 20 minutes later pass as much water again I wonder where it all comes from. On a good day I can easily go 3 hours maybe 4 without needing it so I know it not a physical problem

My problem isn't physical either Bluebell. Well not much anyway. I had an hip replacement in April that "Damaged" my nerves (I think so anyway) and left me with not much sensation in my bladder. Also I wasn't weeing much during the day. It was probably the hottest day of the year when I drank loads more than usual, only a couple of days after the Doc told me to drink more too. I was hoping the sensation would come back to my bladder. It didn't. Instead, I got a dreadful shock and awful pain in my bladder (Yes it registers when things are an emergency!) and had what felt like a 300 mile walk to the toilet. Felt sick. Was terrified and shaking. How I got to the ladies without wetting myself I've no idea but it was the walk from hell. Well I think it's impacted on me psychologically because since then, whenever I leave the house, I have to know there will be toilets where I am going and if there aren't, I'm getting into a panic and feeling the OAB sensations again, though not as bad as that first time. But enough to impact on my day to day living all the same. So I've had a Bladder Scan just to make sure nothing is wrong - still got to see Doc about that. Also I saw the Bladder Nurse the other day. Thankfully she can see the problem is psychological too as it never happens at home or when I am near to public toilets, in a coffee shop or something. So she agrees that anxiety medication is a good idea and also I'm off for CBT next week too. Whilst I'm glad the nurse said everything is normal, even when I told her I'd only produced 200ml of urine between 1.40pm and 9pm the other day, I still can't stop overthinking the problem. It's getting on my nerves. And whilst I'm overthinking it and anxious about it, I'm going to keep on getting the OAB feelings. However, as I said a few minutes ago, when I am home and fretting about it, I find me urination slows down. Like the other day. Only 200ml. Then I worry that I'm "Retaining" but nurse said I'm not. I find that I can empty my bladder as normal in the early hours. Like yesterday I only produced about 500ml all day but I got up twice in the night/early hours and one visit to bathroom resulted in 400ml urine whilst the other time it was 500ml! I panic thinking that I retain, if only temporarily, and that I will damage my bladder. But again the nurse said I won't. Anyway I hope to see the Doctor soon and along with the anxiety medication, and the CBT, I hope I can get over this as soon as possible. Been like this since 2nd May. Had Vaginal Atrophy for almost 2 years before that. Fed up with Vaginal/Bladder/ anxiety problems!

You WILL get there in the end . I actually had an 'accident' when I was quite young; walking back from Manchester at an age where you don't think to, say, go into a shop/café and ask to use their loo. I'm sure that affected me forever [I was about 19 I think]. What I did do was see how much liquid a pad holds and it is ever such a lot; if you know that you're wearing something that will stop any embarrassment if an accident happens it will[hopefully] make you relax more.I stopped off at a supermarket in Yorkshire the other year, knowing that there was a loo in the store; it was right at the end of the shop and, when I got there it was out of order . Thankfully there was a public loo nearby, but that was a horrible few minutes! And I can't seem to get things like that out of my mind afterwards. Still; I do seem to be loads better now [fingers crossed]. I'm sure you will be soon.

Sorry to read about your "Accident" Tegan. I'm sure it would have affected me for ever too. This recent experience of mine in the summer has affected me bad enough without having actually had an accident. must admit that when I go out I either wear Tena Pants or Attends pads. The pants are meant to hold 800ml of liquid! I don't think I have ever peed that much in one go but I have managed 600ml before today. That was in the early hours though. But God knows, I've been so nervous of having an accident that Ive been doubting how effective the Pants/Pads are. I was told at the bladder clinic that the pads would hold one wee. Which pads are you referring to that hold ever such a lot? Yes if I could just get my head around the fact that the pads will work, I would probably relax more. I would have been horrified if I had gone to the loo in a supermarket, only to find it closed!! Yes I bet it was an horrible few minutes. What a relief that there was a public loo nearby though. That's my problem. I can't seem to get those experiences out of my mind either, like that nightmare in town 3 months ago. That was shocking. I'm 100% sure it impacted on me psychologically. I'm glad you are loads better now. That's fabulous. Yes hopefully I will get over this fairly soon too. :-)

Basilcat have you considered standing in the shower wearing your Tena Lady pants and pad and actually having a wee, waiting a few minutes then checking if they contain the wee ? Walk about a bit to see how it feels then you will know for definite that you are safe when out and about.

My problem is I go to the public loos quite normally and then need to go almost immediately and I wonder if I will get my pants down in time. The joys of aging

On this subject...we all need to go more when older, and don't want to worry about it when out and about.I have found that wearing quite tight fitting jeans helps a lot , and thinking about it ,the effect is pulling everything 'up' and holding you tightly.Years ago, when all women wore girdles/roll ons etc this would have had the same effect.
There are various undies out there to buy that do the same job.Strong tight knickers may be the way to go!
Obviously, if you do have a real problem you could use a pad of some kind as well.

I prefer leggings these days as you don't have to fiddle with buttons etc. Helps a great deal with 'key in door' syndrome!

I have vaginal atrophy and am mildy incontinent. One of the best tips from the physio was to drink less altogether. We keep being told to drink more water but in fact we should drink less and as we get older our bladder just doesn't function quite so well -similar to having stiff joints and back ache. I've found cutting down liquid makes a big difference, as well as regular oestregen cream. If I'm going out and unsure where toilets will be, I ensure I use the Ovestan cream that morning.

I find that water goes straight through me. I'm sure we don't need to drink the litres of water that we're told to drink these days.

Hi Nankate, Thanks for the idea. If I do that I will definitely find out how absorbent the pants/pads are, won't I. I know that feeling of wanting to go when I have just been too. I was like that for ages before my right hip replacement. Only "Good" thing was that whilst it was a real nuisance, it was never urgent as such. I just knew I wanted to go again. I know, us women have a lot to put up with don't we?!!

Rosesarered, That's a different idea and something else that I'd not thought of.

Must admit I wear leggings often too Tegan.

GrandmaMoira, I have Vaginal Atrophy too, as well as OAB as the result of a bad experience that impacted on me psychologically. I must admit my Bladder Nurse recently told me I should be drinking between 1.5 litres and 2 litres a day. I find that I only pee small amounts during the day and then I get up once or twice in the night to empty my bladder. I can produce 900ml to 1000ml in two visits to the bathroom during the night or early hours but nowhere near that during the day. So my daytime urination is definitely slowing down, unless I'm away from home and can't find a loo! Having said that, I can get the OAB urges even when my bladder is virtually empty! I am using GYNEST HRT cream for Vaginal Atrophy by the way. I'm 59 years old and fed up with Vaginal/Bladder problems.

It makes me wonder about the amount of water we should be drinking too Tegan. I've drank 1250ml today - it's 8.08pm now and so far I've only peed 300ml! So I will end up getting up in the night I think.

I have another issue that's also phycological - I can be desperate to go but if someone is in the next cubicle my bladder just refuses to 'let go' until they flush or the hand dryer comes on. I have even been known to just come out without using the toilet it's that bad. I also can go and 5 minutes later need to find another toilet - this happens at home as well - it's like my bladder doesn't fully empty. I now keep a couple of 'p-mates' in my bag just in case of emergencies!

I think most people have a similar problem. How about flushing the toilet yourself [I mean, the one you're in not the next cubicle]...that's what I do. It's a very British problem I fear. Remember camping holidays in Germany in my late teens when I realised that people in other countries didn't have a problem of that kind. However, I think the Japanese are worse than we are #ishoulddoaphdonthismethinks....

Well I saw the Doctor today re my bladder scan and he said it looked fine. Told him about my psychological OAB episodes and also how my urination can slow right down when I'm at home. Said the OAB episodes never happen at home and told him how it had all grown out of proportion in my mind with me being scared to go anywhere if I don't know where there are any toilets. Told him I drink about 1.5 litres a day but he said between 2 litres and 3 litres is better. Told him about the lack of feeling or urge in my bladder. Anyway over all he didnt listen to me really. He was more interested in the "Extra Bit" on my kidney and has referred me to a Urologist. He said its nothing to worry about. Said it's called a "Duplex". Wasn't expecting this.